Main Line school officials react to drug ring arrests

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman announces Monday at Lower Merion Township Building the arrest of 11 individuals allegedly involved in a plan to take over the Main Line drug trade. (Richard Ilgenfritz/Main Line Times)

Schools along the Main Line are reacting to Monday’s announcement that a major drug ring was operating in their area.

On Monday, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman announced charges have been filed against nine adults and two juveniles in connection with the case.

The alleged ringleaders were identified as Neil K. Scott, 25, of Barrett Avenue in Haverford and Timothy Brooks, 18, of Cedar Lane in Villanova. Scott and Brooks were both graduates of The Haverford School.

The ring was dubbed the “Main Line Takeover Project,” because, prosecutors say the stated goal of the group’s leaders was to take control of the drug trade at the Main Line schools.

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A current Haverford School student, Daniel Robert McGrath, 18, of Glenolden, was also arrested for allegedly being one of the sub-dealers. The sub-dealers are alleged by police to have been the men and women inside the schools that were conducting the street-level sales to the users.

After learning about the allegations this week, officials from The Haverford School quickly sent out a letter to the school community.

“The Haverford School obviously does not tolerate such activities and is cooperating with authorities. We are committed to maintaining a drug-free learning environment at The Haverford School,” John A. Nagl, headmaster at The Haverford School wrote in his letter.

By phone Tuesday Nagl said The Haverford School has been cooperating with authorities in the investigation.

“These are serious allegations ... we are shocked and horrified and are working hard to prevent anything like this from happening again,” Nagl said Tuesday.

One concern raised by Nagl was a growing concern of the availability of marijuana and that now some states have loosened laws regarding the sale of the drug. Scott told police that he worked in a medical marijuana dispensary in California. In messages to other alleged dealers, Scott indicated that he had a supplier in California. Police say he had been sent balk shipments of marijuana from California.

Nagl said he’d like to meet with legislators and law enforcement to work to find ways to deal with the availability problem as states continue to change marijuana laws.

The alleged ring was first uncovered in Lower Merion when a township police officer was contacted by an informant regarding drug sales at Lower Merion High School.

Doug Young, spokesman for the Lower Merion School District, said they first sent out a communication to staff in order to inform them about the arrests and told them that if they suspect a student might be involved in drugs that they can make what he called a START referral. A START team is designed to provide students with resources for coping with problems that can interfere with students’ ability to succeed in school. Those problems can include substance abuse.

Of the 11 people charged in the ring, one is a 17-year-old male from the Bala Cynwyd section of the township. The juvenile told police that he sold about one-quarter of a pound of marijuana each week and made $200 to $400 from that amount. He also told police that he was selling to people he knew at school.

Young said Tuesday that the district is planning on sending out a letter to the school community regarding the incident.

“We appreciate and support the work of the district attorney in the on-going effort to keep our schools and communities safe and drug free. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. We are ready and willing to assist law enforcement anyway we can,” Young said.

Another juvenile arrested for having alleged to have been part of the ring as a low-level dealer was a 17-year-old male living in the Villanova section of Radnor. The Radnor juvenile told police that he regularly purchased about two to three ounces of marijuana from Brooks. He also told police that he stopped purchasing after he got a drug-related DUI in New Jersey in January.

In a letter to families, Lower Merion officials wrote, “We were not aware of the District Attorney’s investigation prior to [Monday’s] announcement, but will cooperate with authorities if and when requested. Please remember, one of the most important factors in keeping kids safe is information provided to school administrators by students and parents. Not providing information may put our students at risk.”

Conestoga, the high school of the Tredyffrin Easttown School District, was also mentioned by prosecutors as a school targeted by the ring.

“We need to be vigilant regarding drugs or alcohol in the community,” Gusick said. “I think its unfortunate when any kids are involved in that sort of thing.”

Gusick outlined a number of programs at the school to combat the problem of drugs in schools. Those programs include prevention and deterrents. There is also drug and alcohol councilors that are brought in on as needed. There is also a relationship with local police that includes K-9 being brought in to conduct sniffs.

“Certainly the safety of our kids is number one. We want to try and have everything we can have in place to insure they have a safe learning environment,” Gusick said.